Pink is not my color. It is certainly not Sarah or Pat's favorite color. But, when you ride in a pink jeep up the side of a mountain with up to 45 degree inclines and ascend some 2000 feet into some of the prettiest country you will ever see, it will become anybody's favorite color. That was our big adventure this afternoon. Here are a couple of pictures to give you an idea of what we did.

"Sweet" Caroline was our driver. She was kicked out of Kansas after almost running a tractor into a pond. She moved out here and took up driving pink jeeps. She said it was safer. I am not sure who it is safer for. The woman has a sadistic side. She was a great guide and very knowledgeable with a nice sense of humor about the whole thing. She knows how to drive the jeep which is proven by the pictures and the fact that we all returned safely with all of our body parts intact.

Prior to having our inside organs rearranged by Caroline in her pink jeep we explored, on foot, some of the mountains in the area. Sarah and I hiked up to the top of Courthouse Butte. I am not normally scared of heights, but when I got near the edge to take this picture of our hotel, I felt some butterflies in my stomach.

Sarah on the other hand, knows no fear. She is 12 which of course makes her 10 foot tall and bullet proof. I have to constantly remind her to take it easy. I also have to try to keep up with her. That is hard enough at normal altitudes let alone this 4500 foot altitude that they say takes a day or two to get used to.

I have been trying all day to think of words to describe the views here. I come up with outstanding, marvelous, breath taking, awe inspiring, and a bunch of other over used adjectives. They all fall woefully short. No matter which direction you turn you are struck with views that make you stop doing whatever you are doing and stare. I have found that I have to truly focus on driving so as to not become another statistic. A better writer than me might be able to do it justice, (like Melissa), but I am not that writer.

I am attaching a bunch of pictures to this blog. They do not do nature justice either, but they are worth well more than 1000 words.

Tomorrow we are heading to Africa. No we are not leaving Arizona. Guess you will have to read tomorrow to see what we are talking about.